Madrid manager Zidanes job could be on the line as Spanish champions lock horns with Borussia Moenchengladbach in must-win encounter tonight; face prospect of elimination in group stage
Real Madrid players train prior to a recent UEFA Champions League match. Pic/Getty Images
Real Madrid value success in the Champions League above all else, but the 13-time champions head into Wednesday's game against Borussia Moenchengladbach with their qualification hopes hanging by a thread.
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Should they suffer a humiliating group stage exit, ending their remarkable run as the only team to ever avoid elimination at this phase, coach Zinedine Zidane's future will be at risk.
Real manager Zinedine Zidane
A win for either side in the Spanish capital will guarantee them passage through to the Last 16 from Group B. If Madrid draw and Shakhtar win or draw with Inter Milan in the other group match, the Spanish giants will be out. Reports in the Spanish capital have linked Madrid with former Tottenham coach Mauricio Pochettino, currently without a club, should they part ways with Zidane.
'We're used to pressure'
"I'm not thinking about that at all, I'm only thinking about winning and finishing top of the group," Zidane said when asked about his job. "This match is important for the team to show what it's made of. This club, these players are all used to playing matches under pressure. We know what we're playing for."
The Frenchman's predecessor Santiago Solari was sacked after the humiliating Last-16 exit against Ajax in the Champions League in 2019, paving the way for him to return just 10 months after his sudden departure.
Players back Zidane
"He has written the history of this club and he's still writing it now. Last season he won two trophies for us," Casemiro told reporters. "Often poeple forget what he has done and what he is continuing to do for this club. The team is 100 per cent behind the coach," he added.
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